9.22.10 | Welcome Back! The Fall semester has brought with it some great updates to this web resource. You'll see lots of updates to the Additional Resources including webinars, landscape architecture therapuetic resources, and the Community Preventative Services site from the CDC.

Coming soon are student comments on readings from each of the units provided by Dr. Andrew Dannenberg's Healthy Communities class at the University of Washington.

Finally, save the date for these upcoming conferences: Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, October 6-10, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN; American Public Health Association, November 6-10, 2010 in Denver, CO; New Partners for Smart Growth, February 3-5, 2011 in Charlotte, NC.

6.29.10 | Congratulations to Howard Frumkin who was recently named the incoming Dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health. We wish you continued success in this new and exciting opportunity!

5.14.10 | Congratulations to Matthew Trowbridge, Terry Huang and Karen Lee for their work on the Green Health Meeting held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Friday, May 14th. The meeting was focused on "Building Healthy Places: Developing the Science & Practice of Architectural Health Promotion." Participants included representatives from NIH Centers (NICHD, NCI, OBSSR, ODP, and DNRC), the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York Office of Management and Budget, New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, U.S. Green Building Council, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, VMDO Architects, William McDonough & Partners, University of Virginia, University of Nebraska Medical Center, San Francisco Department of Public Health, Jonathan Rose Companies and Human Impact Partners. - Nisha Botchwey, University of Virginia

5.13.10 | I "started researching issues I am more interested in, specifically food security and food systems. ... My main focus is how in many neglected communities, the health of many constituents is a direct correlation to the food access and food options of the area. Yes, we can evolve infrastructure related to transportation and transit-oriented development in order to curb many health disparities, however, food justice is as much a priority and this is what I am passionate about." - Michael Smith, BUEP UVA 2009

2.02.10 | I'm using Frumkin as the primary text. The model curriculum is very useful, especially in terms of linking learning outcomes to assignments and course scheduling. ... for my course, if you have handouts related to exercises, especially related to impact assessment, audits, and special needs populations, that would be helpful. I will be working with the Residential Life Committee here on campus as a client for some or all of our projects this semester, with issues related to: (1) indoor air quality, (2) gray water (irrigation) and sewerage, (3) transportation and traffic safety, (4) open space (dead or lost space) - Erik Ferguson, American University of Sharjah, UAE

1.22.10 | I find this course works best when you can invite a range of speakers, due to the complexity of the subject matter. I supplement invited lectures frequently, with additional materials, and try to contextualize the lectures to the various departments that are part of our faculty (planning and design professions), whenever possible. Some of these lecture topic could be entire courses, but it is a good opportunity to introduce planning and design students to issues they generally do not get exposed to. ... In the previous iteration of the course, for the universal design input, we spent a day visiting projects around the city that incorporated universal design in interesting ways into their buildings and/or landscapes. This year, we may include a visit to the zoo as part of the therapeutic landscapes component. - Sheri Blake, University of Manitoba (originally posted on PLANET)

1.21.10 | Just took a look at your website, nice! I take a somewhat different tact in my class, Housing and Public Health (and my research for that matter). I'm particularly interested in the relationship between the built -- environment and 'natural, nutrition and mental health. Nice to see more people getting involved with this as well. At UMass we're starting to develop a dual degree, MRP and Pub Health. Here's a syllabus from my fall class. It would be nice to have a way for all of us doing this type of work to connect -- your site is certainly a nice start. - Ellen Pader, University of Massachusetts

1.19.10 | Jason Corburn's recent bookToward the Healthy City (MIT Press, October 2009) "argues for a broader conception of healthy urban governance that addresses the root causes of health inequities."

1.19.10 | Consider starting with a review of my 2009 paper on existing US graduate school courses on health and built environment. It proposes a model course curriculum including readings and class exercises. Additionally, this website is a great resource, including a summary of planning programs that offer public health courses, certificate programs and joint degree programs - information students have been clamoring for recently. Finally, Howard Frumkin, Dick Jackson and Andrew Dannenberg are currently writing a textbook on health and built environment that will be published by Island Press in 2011. Howard Frumkin's 2004 and Lawrence Frank's 2003 books are the leading text for these courses along with a few others listed on the curriculum website. - Nisha Botchwey, University of Virginia (originally posted on PLANET)

1.17.10 | If anyone on Planet has taught a similar course, I would be interested in seeing your syllabi, as well any suggestions you may have for supplemental readings, assignments, web links, etc. Frumkin et al is currently out of print, according to the Island Press website, but is available through eBrary at AUS. Might switch to a different textbook if there are any more recent books available for purchase at this particular moment in time. Will post a summary of responses to Planet if there is sufficient interest shone. - Erik Ferguson, American University of Sharjah, UAE (originally posted on PLANET)

11.10.09 | Nisha Botchwey and colleagues Pamela Kulbok and Peggy Meszaros of Virginia Tech presented their youth tobacco prevention research at APHA in addition to Botchwey's presentation of this a Web-based Model Built
Environment and Public Health
Course Curriculum. Find a copy of the presentation here.

10.14.09 | It is impressive that you were able to provide a well-rounded overview of the topics for those who are new to the subject matter while also generating discussion points for others looking to further examine the topics. The website is well-organized, and the links to the articles are greatly appreciated. Thank you for putting so much thought into the design of the website! -S. Mak

7.21.09 | Curriculum description for impact of built environment on health is excellent. Finally... a curriculum design that integrates traditional pedagogical constructs with the opportunity for real student learning. THis is very brave in a place like UVa and I am very proud of you. Great HTML writing. Best! -rywright.

6.12.09 | Association of Schools of Public Health highlighted the website in their weekly Friday Letter.

6.9.09 | Nisha, great work on this website. What a great resource for faculty, students, and practitioners. Thank you for taking the time to create a website that requires minimal work on the user's end to access syllabi and articles. I really hope this website becomes a central resource for folks to post additional readings and such. Thanks Again! -- S. Hobson